Things to do & places to visit in Qinghai, China

Qinghai #32 destination in China 2023. The average rating score is 4.35 based on 1.911 traveler reviews, of 224 attractions. Timezone: Asia/Chongqing, current date and time: Monday, April 29, 2024, 20:00.

Qinghai Weather Statistics view more »

Top things to do (26)

• Amusement & Theme Parks
• Historic Walking Areas
• Parks
• Islands
• Forests
• Historic Sites
• Monuments & Statues
• Visitor Centers
• Natural History Museums
• Bodies of Water
• Sightseeing Tours
• Ancient Ruins
• Nature & Wildlife Areas
• National Parks
• Shopping Malls
• Geologic Formations
• Beach & Pool Clubs
• Mountains
• Speciality Museums
• Ranches
• Religious Sites
• Architectural Buildings
• Dams
• Mysterious Sites
• Zoos
• Points of Interest & Landmarks

Top destinations in Qinghai 19

• Xining
• Haidong
• Madoi County
• Hualong County
• Ping'an County
• Minhe County
• Ledu County
• Huangzhong County
• Tarlag County
• Huangyuan County
• Huzhu County
• Xunhua County
• Datong County
• Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
• Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
• Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
• Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
• Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
• Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

1. 5.0 Hoh Xil Nature Reserve (15 reviews)
   - Amazing barren land with hope and joy
   Monday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
   
   
   I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to visit Hoh Xil in person. With the average elevation of about 4500m, we took a self drive from Golmud and it took us about 3 hours. It is such a barren land with difficult environment for people to live but it is indeed the heaven for wild animals! We saw snowy mountain peaks, grasslands, rivers and small lakes cross the land here and there, feel like the clouds near you and move slowly towards the horizon, wild yaks, Tibetan antelopes, birds runs and flys freely along the way. Fresh air is free! Get your mouth open and take deep breath as much as you can. Generally, I am delighted to see those lovely naive animals are happy and protected in this land with hope and joy. See more..
   
2. 5.0 Beishan Mountain Forest Park of Huzhu (7 reviews)
   - Excellent overnight trip from Xining
   Parks • Forests
   
   
   The mountains (and forest) are beautiful, as is the drive from Xining. Great streams/rivers, woodlands, scenic stops, etc. Several overnight options, too. About 2.5 hours drive northeast from Xining, near border with Gansu province. See more..
   
3. 5.0 Niutou Monument, Guoluo (4 reviews)
   - Nice view @4610m above sea level
   Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Monuments & Statues
   
   
   We are freezing when arrived on top during Summer but with stunning view. We are the only tourist on the early morning and enjoy the serene & tranquil surrounding. See more..
   
4. 5.0 Pandao Reservoir (4 reviews)
   - 漂亮
   Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Architectural Buildings
   
   
   美丽朴素的小村庄。。。没有人类污染的痕迹，面对最最最淳朴的乡里乡亲！你的微笑会挂满嘴角，美丽朴素的小村庄，美丽朴素的小村庄，美丽朴素的小村庄！！！！ See more..
   
5. 5.0 Lijiaxia Hydropower Station, Huangnan (4 reviews)
   - Impressive building
   Monday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Dams
   
   
   If you are into spectacular engineering, this is a very impressive place. As per october 2021, the road is being rebuilt, many parking spots are closed. There is only one good big parking lot where you get a clear view on the dam. You'll need to drive your own car there. See more..
   
6. 5.0 Jianamani Shijing Castle (4 reviews)
   - Holy site.
   Historic Sites • Religious Sites
   
   
   There are a lot of pilgrimages doing circumenbulation. It's really nice just relaxing somewhere with a tea and watch people. See more..
   
7. 4.5 Lake Kokonor (597 reviews)
   - Lots of fun activities
   Monday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM Bodies of Water
   
   
   Very impressive. China's largest lake, which also is a salt water lake. Surface area of the water exceeds 4,000 square kilometres. Nice clear, but chilly water. Very scenic. Lots of Tibetan fun activities. i rode a yak again. See more..
   
8. 4.5 Ta'er Monastery (210 reviews)
   - Silk Road trip organised by China Highlights
   Monday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Religious Sites
   
   
   Ta'er Monastery is one of the six largest monasteries of the Gelug Sect (or Yellow Hat Sect, a branch of Tibetan Buddhism). The monastery is also one of the most popular sightseeing spots in Qinghai Province. I recommend it very much. See more..
   
9. 4.5 Chaka Salt Lake, Haixi (93 reviews)
   - Gorgeous
   Monday: 7:00 AM - 6:30 PM Bodies of Water
   
   
   One of the largest salt lakes in China. This is quite a spectacular sight. It's also known as mirror lake. The picture opportunities are superb with the endless lake and sky in front of you. You can get a small sightseeing train (50RMB) or you can walk around. You can also rent some rubber boots to walk into the salt lake (10RMB). This is a fun experience. Located in Caka area a few hours outside of Xining. See more..
   
10. 4.5 The Birds Island (79 reviews)
    - RADventure: Bird Island
    Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Bodies of Water • Islands • Nature & Wildlife Areas
    
    
    Bird Island is a small island on Qinghai lake, or the Blue Sea Lake. It is an endorheic basin, the largest saltwater lake in China. It is known to be a holy place for Tibetans Buddhists and a great birding destination too. This large saltwater lake measures 4,635 square kilometers in area. Major attractions around it is Bird Island where many species of birds come to nest or rest during their transcontinental migrations. Snowcapped mountains surrounding the clear blue water along with vast grasslands make Qinghai a dreamland from the fairy tales. In one of the episodes during my birding exploration, a young local cowboy came with his bike and offered me a ride into the swampy marshland. That was an excellent gesture. He even invited us to his home and offered lunch. There is a formal Bird viewing area. Being a tourist destination, it is not very attractive for a Birder. I rather went into unchartered areas of the lake for birding instead of the formal viewing gallery. See more..
    
11. 4.5 Sand Island of Qinghai Lake (50 reviews)
    - Paradise of paradise for Great Blackneaded gulls.
    Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Islands
    
    
    A barren sand island built up of sand and chemical activity over centuries. Not as interesting as Qinghai Lake. See more..
    
12. 4.5 Museum of China Tibetan Medicine Culture (48 reviews)
    - Stunning
    Monday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Speciality Museums
    
    
    Museum of China Tibetan Medicine Culture is destination #1 in Xining. Around 20 minutes from city center by taxi, but it worth it. In Museum I've seen the biggest tangha in the world. I wonder if it is the longest masterpiece of art in the world? Amazing place, a lot of interesting and stunning items. In contrast with Tibetan Museum in Lhasa no propaganda at all. See more..
    
13. 4.5 Menyuan Rape Flower Scenic Spot (39 reviews)
    - Beautiful Menyuan Rape Flower
    Points of Interest & Landmarks • Mysterious Sites
    
    
    Blue sky, white clouds leisurely, beautiful villages and yellow rape flowers are fused together; the land becomes a sea of blossoming rape plants. See more..
    
14. 4.5 Qinghai Zhakanbula National Geological Park (39 reviews)
    - Khamra national park (Chi:Kanbula)
    Monday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM National Parks • Parks • Forests • Geologic Formations
    
    
    This is a great place to do a day trip from Xining. where you can do a couple of hrs nice hiking through a quite forests. At the heart of the park, there is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist nunneries of Amdo Tibet. there is entry fee.135RMB per person, that includes all the transpiration inside the part. See more..
    
15. 4.5 Qinghai Plateau (29 reviews)
    - Magnificent Tibetan flatlands, mountains & lakes
    Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Geologic Formations
    
    
    Beautiful Qinghai-Tibetan flatlands, with sheep grazing, horses freely running and grazing on the highlands, Thousands of square miles of grasslands. See more..
    
16. 4.5 Zhuo'er Mountain (23 reviews)
    - Spectacular land-form
    Mountains
    
    
    The Danxia land-form in the Zhuo'er Mountain, Qilian County is an impressive work of art created over millions of years. This is an amazing part of the Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. See more..
    
17. 4.5 Longwu Temple (20 reviews)
    - Longwu Temple
    Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Religious Sites
    
    
    It's half day's drive from the capital city Xining and it is better to combine this monastery with another big monastery Lebrang Monastery nearby on a trip to this place. Longwu Monastery is one of the major monasteries in Amdo Tibet, "Longwu" bears the Tibetan meaning of "place of farming". First funded as a Sakya Monastery at the beginning of 14th Century and later in 17th century it became a Gelugpa monastery. A morning visit is better to this monastery. It has a collection of fine constructions and beautiful Buddha statues. A 11 meters high statue of Zongkaba can be found here in the main temple. See more..
    
18. 4.5 Kunlun Mountain Pass (15 reviews)
    - Scenery along the road to Kunlun Mountain Pass
    Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Mountains
    
    
    The pass was a place of fighting during the Second Sino-Japanese War, when it was intensely fought over. Control over the pass changed multiple times. Mountainous landscape is spectacular. See more..
    
19. 4.5 Jiuzhi Nianbaoyuze Mountain Scenic Resort (15 reviews)
    - Very nice Hiking
    Mountains • Nature & Wildlife Areas
    
    
    This is a hiking place for photographers and outdoor lovers. You will not only see the beautiful lates but also the many rocky mountains. Also you will have a close touch of local Tibetan culture. Best time to go there is in June, July and August when the flowers are blooming. Although going there in fall may have better days of good weather. See more..
    
20. 4.5 Qilian Mountain, Haibei (13 reviews)
    - Super beautiful mountain area & grasslands
    Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Mountains
    
    
    WOW. Fantastic scenery. Nice bland of mountains, grasslands, herds of cattle, goats, a few yaks, and more. Locals are always smiling. See more..
    
21. 4.5 Mengda Nature Reserve (10 reviews)
    - Actually great to go in Autumn
    Monday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
    
    
    It involves bite of hiking, not too tensive but maybe too hot to hike in summer, there is option of ride mules also. but It's a beautiful and peaceful as the lake surrounded by forest, it exotic and breath taking. My friend told that lake called Thousand Mountain Holy Lake in Tibetan, means the lake surrounded by thousand mountains. It's a special for local Buddhists, thus it's a holy lake, water so so clean, no boats were allowed which is a great thing to preserve nature. See more..
    
22. 4.5 Vairocana Temple (Temple of Princess Wencheng) (8 reviews)
    - An amazing sight
    Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Historic Sites
    
    
    You visit this place not for the temple which is quite small, but for the mountain which is covered by prayer flags wherever you look and is quite a spectacular sight to see! See more..
    
23. 4.5 Guide National Geopark (7 reviews)
    - Picturesque
    National Parks • Parks
    
    
    Visited the national park this morning. It is located 100km from Xining. We had a two hours stroll cum ride in the park. The view is simply breathtaking. Very picturesque. Highly recommended. See more..
    
24. 4.5 Regong Art Country (7 reviews)
    - Thangkha Buddhist Paintings
    Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Historic Walking Areas • Beach & Pool Clubs
    
    
    10 minutes drive from the town of Tongren is the Thankha Regong Art village between Wutunshang Temple and Wutunxia Temple. The whole village's livelihood is painting Thangkha and to sell them. We visited a family and they showed us a huge Thangkha. It took the family one whole year to complete the painting and they want to make a sell to us but because the price is too high we gave up. They use the color from natural materials on the painting they say the color will stay for over hundred of years which I believe it's true. They have big Thangkhas and small Thangkhas to sell. And the Thangkha painters were originally trained by a monk from the Thangkha Art Center for 5 years before they became painters. Many of the kids/students sent there are orphans. It was a bit sad that I couldn't afford a single painting they make but I kept some of the contacts of the villager and said if I have richer friends who want to buy Thangkhas, I shall come here. See more..
    
25. 4.5 Chaidamu Basin (6 reviews)
    - Worth the trouble to visit
    Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Geologic Formations
    
    
    The journey here was a treacherous one whereby there was more than a stretch of three kilometers of potholes. There doesn’t seem to be any ticketing booth and the road signs were also unclear. Things got better the moment you’re inside. There are six stations whereby you can get to see different natural landscapes. Somehow the emerald colored water set against the salt base of the lake makes it very picturesque. Throw in the snow capped mountains in the background and you have a perfect photo op! The best part of it is free admission; maybe I picked the right day to visit. See more..
    
26. 4.5 Xining Beihai Park (6 reviews)
    - 美丽北海银滩
    Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Parks
    
    
    刚下车就马上迫不及待的跑像海边，我想对内陆城市的人来说，大海总是那么的美，在心中都有一个美妙的关于大海的情结。北海银滩，和名字一样的耀眼，银色的沙子特别干净，大海与天空一色美丽至极，我喜欢海，相信很多人都和我一样。 See more..
    
27. 4.5 Qinghai Golmud Kunlun Mountain National Park (5 reviews)
    - The Kunlun mythological mountains
    Mountains • National Parks • Geologic Formations
    
    
    This is a small portion of the over 3,000 kilometre Kunlun mountain range. One of the famous attractions is the Kunlun Pass. See more..
    
28. 4.0 Xining Dongguan Mosque (136 reviews)
    - Big and Beautiful
    Monday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Religious Sites
    
    
    The mosque is quite big inside. We just walked around inside. They have some rules to visit the mosque according to their religion please read it outside of the mosque there’s a notice board. See more..
    
29. 4.0 Tulou Temple of Beishan Mountain (31 reviews)
    - Beishan Temple
    Monday: 7:50 AM - 7:00 PM Religious Sites
    
    
    This is a great Taoist temple that is located on Beishan Mountain side north of the town. If you have one extra day in XIN don't want to go out of the city. This place will fill your day. Reaching to this place with public bus is not the easiest way. It is better to take taxi to the temple, then walk back to the city. Bring some food or snacks... See more..
    
30. 4.0 Xining Nanshan Mountain (28 reviews)
    - beautiful
    Monday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Mountains • Parks
    
    
    This was a great less-crowded place to see, and no charge. It has really nice views of the city. It's a walk uphill, maybe a little under a mile, but you can take a car for about 10 RMB. At the top, there are paved walkways throughout which lead to a grassy area, some Buddhist buildings, an Islamic building, and park area. In the park, the rocks at the top of the hill are constructed from steel bars and concrete, so be careful where you walk as some areas have fallen out or could potentially fall out. See more..